Vatican II Cathedral. Second Vatican Church Cathedral

The Second Vatican Council, held in 1962-1965 under two popes - John XXIII and Paul VI, made decisions in a situation that Catholics themselves defined as a deep crisis. At that time, the outflow of clergy from the Roman Catholic Church in the United States alone exceeded a thousand people a year, and the number of those who were non-nominal Catholics practicing (as they say in English - "church qoers") was getting lower in relation to to Catholics by birth or nationality, that is, only baptized in the enclosure of the Roman Catholic Church. In some ways, the situation was defined by the Catholic hierarchs and theologians themselves as parallel to the one that was in Europe before the Reformation, the era of the crisis of Catholicism.

The Second Vatican Council was a reaction to this truly crisis situation. The conciliar definitions and subsequent reforms brought about very significant changes in the life of the Catholic Church.

Let us touch on just a few of them. It is well known that the milestone, the epochal decision of the Second Vatican Council was the reform of Catholic worship. First - we must determine this precisely - the Second Vatican Council permitted the translation of the entire service into national languages. Let us emphasize: "allowed", not "prescribed", as we sometimes interpret it. For example, in Italy, Poland, we have a sufficient number of Catholic churches in our country, where the Mass is still celebrated in Latin. Or suppose, in the same Poland or Italy, one Mass is celebrated in Latin, the other in the national language.

The translations of the service into national languages ​​were not carried out on their own, not at the level of a separate parish, not by the decision of a group of intellectual enthusiasts, but by the sanction of a local bishop's conference. And nevertheless, drawing a conclusion from personal conversations with many representatives of the Catholic Church, we can say that many of the practicing traditional Catholics point to the loss of the sacred prayer content of worship after the introduction of these very carefully verified and correct translations into use, a loss that did not lead to new people to the church, but pushed away some of the regular parishioners. Suffice it to mention at least that the schism in the Catholic Church associated with the name of Lefebvre, a French bishop who repulsed Catholicism after the Second Vatican Council, was largely associated precisely with the tendencies towards liturgical renewal, which he and his followers perceived as a break with 1,500 years old tradition of Western Latin worship.

Mass after the council is still mainly performed with the accompaniment of an organ (other musical instruments). Note that the Second Vatican Council recommended adhering to Gregorian singing for parishes in Europe and for Catholics of the European Christian tradition, that is, to moderate the riot of baroque and post-baroque music. As for the Catholics of other continents and other cultural environments, after the cathedral, a wide adaptation of the national musical culture, and sometimes the national dance culture, into worship was carried out. In Africa, Polynesia or any other exotic regions, you can get to the Catholic service, which is performed accompanied by a tam-tam, a tambourine or other similar instruments. Here a rather important question arises: is it permissible to introduce elements of this kind of folk culture, a culture that is, in fact, saturated with paganism (it does not matter, primitive or developed) into the divine service life?

At one time, Vladimir Soloviev, as it seems, with sufficient justice pointed out in relation to the Baptism of Rus that it was, in a sense, a national self-denial, a breakaway from the old folk tradition. That was a renunciation of pagan darkness in the Gospel, ontological sense of the word. Not a combination, as we sometimes write, of good paganism, attached to Christianity (in relation to Slavic paganism), but, on the contrary, a rejection of it. Catholicism now, as we can see, has gone through the perception of this kind of non-Christian religious and cultural traditions.

The next point that is important to note in relation to worship. In the new Roman Missal (service book), compiled after the Second Vatican Council in pursuance of its decisions, there is a tendency, as it were, to return to the ancient church foundations. The prayers that are included in it are taken from ancient liturgical texts, both Eastern and Western, it even contains prayers that reproduce the content of the epiclesis, which, it would seem, theologically, should not be in the Roman Mass (it is another matter that this epiclesis in the old way, like a prayer for the consecration of the participants in the service, and not the offered bread and wine themselves). And nevertheless, turning again to the reception [acceptance, assimilation] of these introductions by practicing Catholics, we see that these attempts to return to the practice of the Ancient Church are interpreted not as such, but as a break with a long, centuries-old, well-established liturgical tradition. Not as traditionalism, but, in fact, as renovationism or modernism, which has only the form of a return to tradition. And here such phenomena of our church life are involuntarily recalled, when some "theologians" or "practitioners", under the guise of returning to a certain period of church history, discard most of the heritage of the church.

In connection with the divine services, mention should be made of the reform that influenced not only the Catholics themselves, but also many Protestants, in particular the Episcopal Church. After the Second Vatican Council, there was a minimization of the private, cell rule. The idea seemed to be a good one: to increase the role of public worship, for this many personal prayers of both the priest and the laity, many prayers that were read as preparatory to the service, say, before the mass, were included in the text of the sequence of the service. But in reality, this led to the fact that cell prayer (especially for laity) actually disappeared or diminished to a very significant extent. That is, the result was the opposite of the one thought by the initiators of the reforms. Finally, the separation of Confession from Communion, which was finally established in Catholicism after the Second Vatican Council, is also connected with divine services. Confession and Sacrament are considered as unrelated Sacraments. The Eucharistic fast was shortened, reduced to an hour before Communion. Mass can be celebrated several times a day, including in the evening, and it is enough for a person to abstain from eating for an hour.

The calendar of saints' feasts was also changed. Again, it is important to correctly indicate what exactly happened. Sometimes in our polemical anti-Catholic literature it is said about the mass decanonization of ancient saints. This is not entirely accurate. The reform of the calendar was caused by the fact that, due to the abundance of saints glorified by the Catholic Church, the liturgical commemoration of all of them in calendar year has become impossible. This list was "cleaned up", about half of the church year remained, about 188 days: for holidays and days of remembrance of saints, which are generally binding for all Catholics. Indeed, some of the saints of the Ancient undivided Church dropped out of this general list - under the pretext that their lives cannot be regarded as reliable and in this sense they cannot be an example of piety. We are talking, for example, about the holy great martyr and Victorious George, the holy great martyr Barbara, saints Cyprian and Justinia and some others (this does not apply, as we read several times in our press, to St. Nicholas, whose name is among the saints of the all-Catholic liturgical calendar ). The other half of the calendar was offered to local episcopal conferences or episcopal synods, for the introduction of the saints most revered in that country or area. It seems that this - with a rationalistic approach to the veneration of ancient holiness, which is absolutely unacceptable to us - there is considerable meaning. The practice of special liturgical veneration of saints who are remembered in connection with the fate of the country or with the piety of a given nation deserves a closer look ...

After the Second Vatican Council, a sharp change in the attitude of official Catholicism to other religions took place: it became possible to recognize, to one degree or another, grace - although this word itself is used carefully - or some divine revelation of non-Christian religions. Parallel trends of this kind can be seen in the activities of our neo-Renovation societies.

Despite the fact that the cardinal provisions of Catholicism associated with the Trinitarian doctrine, Filioque, and in ecclesiology and with the role of the Roman bishop, were preserved by the Second Vatican Council, the crisis of authority that generally befell Western Christian society did not escape the Catholic Church. More, of course, he touched upon the Protestant denominations. When communicating with Western Christians, the first thing you notice is the belittling of church authority: when neither the bishop has authority over the diocese, nor the priest in the parish, and when the very worldview of people is not so much church-hierarchical as pluralistic-democratic. Thus, during the last visit of Pope John Paul II to France, there were numerous protests by Catholics against his visit. Some even publicly denied baptismal vows ... At the same time, the protesters consider themselves Catholics and in a strange way combine such demonstrations with belief in the papal primacy of power and the doctrinal right to infallibility.

Another phenomenon that accompanied Catholicism after the Second Vatican Council was the so-called "liberation theology", which also needs our careful reflection. Liberation Theology is a movement that spread primarily in Latin America, the center of which was and is still Brazil. Some of the priests, theologians, who came from the Franciscan and Dominican monastic orders, postulated as the basis of their activity that the Church should treat the poor not as an object of applying her pastoral care, but should make the poor (and this meant a completely Marxist terminology - "proletariat" ) the subject of church action. That is, the Church should be identified with the poor, by whom are meant the class-oppressed strata of society. And in this identification of oneself with the class-oppressed strata of society, cooperation with certain - including non-Christian - forces is permissible, which advocate the idea of ​​social justice, equality of peoples, countries, social strata, etc. Figures of "liberation theology" have advocated and are advocating the idea that there is no antagonistic contradiction between Christianity and Marxism, which, in essence, the idea of ​​social justice, as if affirmed by Marxism, makes it possible for the Church to cooperate with the communist parties to achieve a society of greater social justice. A practical experiment in this area was the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, when many leaders of "liberation theology" were for a certain time ministers of the Sandinista government. It should be noted, however, that many of the provisions of "liberation theology" were condemned by the official Vatican. Pope John Paul II during a visit to Latin America emphasized that social systems cannot be regarded as sinful, only people who are part of this or that system can be sinful. And in this sense, cooperation or fusion of the Church with revolutionary-minded Marxist groups or movements is unacceptable. Nevertheless, even after the official condemnation of the Vatican, "liberation theology" is a very influential social and theological movement.

Concluding a brief overview of the phenomena of modern Catholic life, I would like to draw the attention of a thoughtful reader to one important circumstance. A careful study of the materials of the Second Vatican Council and the recently published definitions of the Local Council of 1917-1918 reveal an unexpected multitude of parallels. Therefore, I think that when now more and more often there are references to the Council of 1917-1918 as something absolutely positive in our church life, we should think about whether this is so. After all, it is probably no coincidence that on the path of the Providence of God, only one decision of the Council of 1917-1918 was assimilated by the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the decision to restore the Patriarchate. We, of course, can say that then the historical conditions changed, but, as church people, we must understand that, probably, it is not only a change in historical conditions ...

Notes (edit)
Ed. Quoted from: M. Kozlov, priest. Post Vaticanum II [After the II Vatican Council] // Orthodox conversation. 1997. No. 2. Pp. 15-17. - Ed.
1. Parishioners; lit .: "walkers to church". - Ed.

(11 Oct. 1962 - 8 Dec. 1965), Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church, in Catholic. tradition "21st Ecumenical." Held at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome; 4 sessions took place, 168 general congregations. 3058 bishops and general abbots of monastic orders and congregations took part in VS; lay people, observers of other confessions, and the diplomatic corps were also present. The Council adopted 4 constitutions, 9 decrees and 3 declarations: the constitution about priest. liturgy "Sacrosanctum Concilium" (SC; 12/04/1963), dogmatic constitution on the Church "Lumen gentium" (LG; 11/21/1964), dogmatic constitution on Divine Revelation "Dei Verbum" (DV; 11/18/1965), pastoral constitution on the Church in modern world "Gaudium et spes" (GS; 07.12.1965), the decree on the media "Inter mirifica" (IM; 04.12.1963), the decree on East. Catholic Churches Orientalium Ecclesiarum (OE; 11.21.1964), decree on ecumenism Unitatis redintegratio (UR; 21.11.1964), decree on the pastoral ministry of bishops in the Church “Christus Dominus” (CD; 10.28.1965), decree on renewal life of monastics in modern times. Prefectae caritatis (PC; 10/28/1965), Decree on preparation for the priesthood “Optatam totius” (OT; 10/28/1965), Apostolicam actuositatem decree on laity apostolate (AA; 11/18/1965), Missionary decree Church "Ad gentes divinitus" (AG; 12/07/1965), decree on the ministry and life of priests "Presbyterorum ordinis" (PO; 12/07/1965), declaration of christ. education "Gravissimum educationis" (GE; 10/28/1965), a declaration on the attitude of the Church towards non-Christ. religions "Nostra aetate" (NA; 10/28/1965), Declaration on Religions. freedom "Dignitatis humanae" (DH; 07.12.1965).

History

In Rome. rite, concelebration was not practiced, since it was believed that it diminishes the role of the priest serving Mass in persona Christi, and also that several. masses celebrated several. priests, will bear more fruit for the living and the dead than one Mass celebrated by the same priests. V.S. allowed the possibility of concelebrating on Maundy Thursday (both at the Mass at the consecration of the world and at the Mass of the Lord's Supper), at the masses celebrated at Councils, in the meetings of bishops and in synods, as well as at the Mass at the elevation to the rank of abbot. - ya. With the permission of the ruling bishop, concelebration may take place at a common monastic (conventual) mass, at a main mass in churches, at masses in the assembly of secular and monastic clergy (SC.57). The council noted that in the liturgical concelebration, the hierarchical communion of priests with bishops is best manifested (PO. 7-8).

V.S. ordered a revision of the canons and church rules concerning the outer side of worship: the form and construction of thrones, the location of sacred images and decorations, etc. (SC. 128). It was decided to reform the liturgical calendar (SC. 107). The Council prescribed a radical reform of Breviary; was canceled and the tradition. reading the entire Psalter in one week (SC. 91).

The implementation of the Sacrosanctum concilium constitution began even before the end of the Council. On March 4, 1964, members of the Council for the Implementation of the Constitution on Worship (Consilium liturgicum) were appointed; on March 11, its 1st meeting was held. The council was headed by Archbishop. Bologna card. Giacomo Lercaro, Lazarist father Annibale Bugnini, an ardent supporter of liturgical reform, became secretary. The tasks of the council included the development of new orders of the Mass and the Sacraments and the consideration of translations of prayers into national languages ​​submitted for approval. The Congregation of Rites (Card. A. Larraon) also dealt with liturgical reform. In 1968 both of these structures were headed by the card. Benno Guth. Over the following years, a large-scale liturgical reform was carried out that radically changed the Catholic. worship (which, in particular, gave rise to both movements for the preservation or revival of the Tridentine rite, and, conversely, a number of trends for the further reform of the liturgical rite).

V.P. Ponomarev

Orthodox Churches and V.S.

Announcement of the convocation of V.S., made on 25 January. 1959, on the day of the end of the week of prayers for Christ. unity, was taken by many as a sign that the Council will be the beginning of reflections on unity. A similar idea about bud. The Council was also confirmed by Pope John XXIII, to-ry in a statement dated April 4. 1959 said that for "the separated brothers ... the Cathedral by its very nature will be a call to return to the common sheepfold." In June of the same year, the Pope speaks of the Council as an internal Catholic affair. Church, but emphasizes its ecumenical aspect - the removal of obstacles to the possible unity of Christians. 30 Aug 1959, the pontiff made a proposal on the possibility of the "separated brothers" to send their observers to VS. On June 5, 1960, the Secretariat for the Promotion of Christ. unity (CXE), to-rum had to work with observers. On June 26, 1960, the Pope officially announced that representatives of the "separated brothers" would be invited to the Council.

The possibility of the presence of observers from the Russian Orthodox Church at VS was discussed already in March 1959, then at a meeting of Met. Nicholas (Yarushevich) with the Chairman of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church G.G. Karpov, it was decided that if the planned Council would deal exclusively with Christ. unity, then participation in it even at the level of observers is unacceptable. If at the Council issues concerning the struggle for peace are raised, the MP does not exclude the possibility of the presence of delegates-representatives D. 255.L. 24). However, already at the beginning. Apr 1959 Patriarch Alexy I spoke extremely negatively about the very idea of ​​delegating representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church to Catholic. Cathedral (Record of the conversation between G. G. Karpov and Patriarch Alexy, Metropolitan Nicholas, Archpriest Kolchitsky, April 2, 1959 // Ibid. L. 31).

One of the first officers. reactions from the ROC to rumors about the invitation or even participation of representatives of the Orthodox Church. Churches in the works of V.S. was the article "Refutation" published in the ZhMP, which denied information about the negotiations between certain bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church and the papal nuncio in Vienna and stated that "the Moscow Patriarchate considers the upcoming council as a purely Roman Catholic the act, for its part, has no grounds, let alone intentions, to interfere in this matter ”(1959, No. 7. P. 10). Earlier, the Greek criticized the alleged unification mission of V.S. orthodoxy theologians who noted that a genuine "Council of Unity" cannot be convened on the initiative of one side alone, but should be the result of a joint agreement between Christ. confessions (Martano V. Role of Moscow: View from Constantinople // Second Vatican Council: View from Russia. P. 334). In the statement of the K-Polish Patriarchate dated 18 Feb. In 1959 it was also said that “a Council cannot be considered Ecumenical if it is not really all Christian” (Ibid. P. 335). Decided after. more clearly, the goals and objectives of V.S. ruled out the possibility of considering this Council as a unifying one.

SCHE proceeded from the assumption that Orthodoxy. The churches themselves must express a desire to send their observers to V.S. Kard. A. Bea in an interview with "Giornale del Popolo" (March 1961) noted the desirability of the presence of a non-Catholic at the Council. observers, including Orthodox, stressing the need for the ROC to show its own initiative in this matter. In response to this interview, the WMP published an article “Non possumus!”, Which rejected not only Card's proposal. A. Bea, but also the very idea of ​​participation in the work of the forthcoming Council of representatives from the Russian Orthodox Church (1961. No. 5. P. 73-75).

In the future, the SCE decided to invite to V.S. Pravosl. observers with the help of the K-Polish Patriarchate, which was sympathetic to the idea of ​​the presence of observers from the Local Orthodox Churches. In 1961, representatives of the SCE met with Patriarch Athenagoras, who confirmed the intention of the K-Polish Patriarchate to take an active part in the Catholic negotiations. Churches with Orthodox Churches.

In Feb. 1962 Secretary of the SCE, presbyter, prelate-domesticus (later bishop and cardinal) I. Villebrands undertook a trip to Greece and Turkey, where he met with Patriarch Athenagoras and Archbishop. Athenian and all Hellas Chrysostomus II. After this visit, the K-Polish Patriarchate established a special commission under the direction of. Met. Sardinian Maxim for consultations with the Orthodox Church. Churches on the issue of the possibility of sending observers to VS Jerusalem Patriarch Benedict in March 1962 refused to send a delegation from his Patriarchate because of the Catholic. proselytism and anti-Orthodox. Vatican policy on the Holy Land. The Greek Orthodox Church also refused due to the absence of a clear program for V.S. and the uncertainty of the status of Orthodoxy on it. observers. The Alexandrian Patriarchate announced that it would support the decision of the K-field (Martano. The role of Moscow. P. 344).

On June 23, 1962, the Central PC of V.S. finally approved the provision on the status of non-Catholic, which was then included in the Charter of V.S. Observers at the Council: they received the right to attend public sessions and at the general congregations of the Council without the right to vote and speak, except for specially stipulated cases. On July 24, 1962, on behalf of Pope John XXIII, the chairman of the CXE card. A. Bea sent an officer to Patriarch Athenagora. an invitation "to send two clerics or theologians to VS as authorized observers." In a special letter, card. A. Bea, who accompanied the invitation, spoke about the decision of the SCE "to send directly to each of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches a separate invitation", and not to distribute them through K-pol (Letter from Card. A. Bea to Patriarch Athenogore // Tomos Agapis. Brussels, 1996. С . 30-31). The ROC did not receive a separate invitation. By the beginning. 1962 in the MP, there was a departure from the position of rejection of V.S. "1961 In the end. March 1962 to the Council for the Affairs of the ROC by the chairman of the DECR MP Archbishop. Nikodim (Rotov) submitted a note "Thoughts on the Catholic Church", in which he emphasized the usefulness for world public opinion of the presence of a delegation from the Russian Orthodox Church at the meeting. It was noted that the presence of delegates from the Russian Orthodox Church at the meeting could “neutralize any inclinations of Constantinople to speak on behalf of all Orthodoxy and go too close to rapprochement with Rome” (GARF. F. 6991. Op. 2. D. 461).

At the end. summer 1962 Archbishop. Nikodim (Rotov) at a meeting with I. Villebrands at a session of the Central Committee of the WCC in Paris and during secret negotiations with Card. E. Tisseranom in Metz said that if Rome wants the presence of observers from the Russian Orthodox Church at VS, then he must send an officer. invitation (Nikodim (Rotov), ​​Metropolitan John XXIII, Pope // BT. 1979. Sat. 20. P. 182). Patriarch Alexy I, answering the question of French. journalist J. Boullier about accepting the invitation to the Council from the ROC, noted that "the door for a possible invitation remained open," officially demonstrating the readiness of the ROC to dialogue with the Vatican (Vedernikov. Position of benevolent attention. p. 63).

From 27 Sept. by 2 Oct. I.Villebrands' visit to Moscow took place. At meetings with Archbishop. Nicodemus and other members of the Holy. He informed the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church about the progress of the preparation of V.S., the outlined topics, the conciliar regulations and the degree of participation of the non-Catholic in it. observers, and also assured that political problems will not be discussed at the Council. Archbishop. Nikodim confirmed the readiness of the MP to accept the invitation and send observers to VS. 4 oct. card. A. Bea sent Patriarch Alexy I officer. an invitation to “send two or three observer delegates to the Council”.

Sacred Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, urgently convened on October 10. after receiving the official. invitations, appointed observers from the MP and. O. representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the WCC prof. LDA prot. Vitaly Borovoy and deputy. head of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite. Vladimir (Kotlyarov). The "Regulations on the observers of the Moscow Patriarchate at the Vatican Council" was adopted, according to which they were supposed to "regularly, at least once a week, report on the current work of the Council to the chairman of the DECR", accompanying their reports with printed materials of V.S., current periodicals and publications. The observers were also charged with the duty “if necessary, to state to the relevant authorities of the Roman Catholic Church a certain position of the Moscow Patriarchate” (Determinations of the Holy Synod // ZhMP. 1962. No. 11. P. 9-10). On the same day, by a resolution of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU, consent was given to the dispatch of representatives of the MP to V.S. as observers (Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU No. 58/30 of 10.10.1962 // GARF. F. 6991. Op. 1. D. 1942 . L. 169). At the same time, the confidence remained that the observers from the MP would meet at the Council with observers from the K-Polish Patriarchate, but already in the evening on October 10. In Moscow, a telegram was received from Patriarch Athenagoras, in which he reported on the accepted 8 October. the decision to refuse to send observers was a complete surprise for the MP. In turn, the decision of the Holy. The Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was unexpected for Patriarch Athenagoras.

11 oct. observers from the ROC arrived in Rome. They were given places of honor on a special rostrum next to the presidium, the right to use translators, all discussed conciliar documents. During the whole VS, meetings of observers were held once a week, during to-ryh cards. A. Bea commented on the ongoing work, and observers were invited to express critical comments on the discussed draft documents. Dec 8 1962, before the opening ceremony of the 1st session of V.S., state. Vatican Secretary Card. A. G. Cikognani received observers and non-Catholic. guests, presenting them on behalf of Pope John XXIII with commemorative medals of his pontificate.

After the end of the 1st session, January 31. 1963, in an interview with the Greek. f. "Εθνος" Archbishop. Nikodim officially stated that the ROC considered and continues to consider V.S. to be an internal affair of the Roman Catholic Church, and the initial negative statements of the ROC regarding the sending of observers to it were not in the nature of a refusal to invite. Archbishop. Nikodim rejected reports about the discord between the Moscow and K-Polish Patriarchates (Answers of Archbishop Nikodim, chairman of the DECR MP, to the questions of the Greek journalist S. Aleksiu // ZhMP. 1963. No. 2. P. 21-22).

July 8, 1963 card. A. Bea suggested autocephalous Orthodoxy. Churches to send observers to the 2nd session of V.S. In 1963, it was decided to leave each Local Church to judge the dispatch of observers on their own.

A significant stage in the Orthodox Catholic. dialogue during the VS was the pilgrimage of Pope Paul VI to Jerusalem and his meeting with Patriarch Athenagoras. Wishing to enlist the support of other Local Orthodox Churches, Patriarch Athenagoras sent out an officer. a statement of his intention to meet with the Pope. This meeting was opposed by Archbishop. all Hellas Chrysostomos II and Jerusalem Patriarch Benedict. Patriarch Alexy I stated that this initiative is the business of the K-Polish Church, and not of the entire Orthodoxy. On the 5th of January. on the Mount of Olives, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras exchanged greetings and a "kiss of peace", announcing their intention to fully contribute to the unity of Orthodoxy. and Catholic. Churches. After this meeting, the K-Polish Patriarchate decided to send its observers to the 3rd session of V.S. 1965 Met. Melito, representing the K-Polish Patriarchate in VS, conveyed on behalf of Patriarch Athenagoras to Pope Paul VI a proposal to lift the anathemas and a proposal to outline ways to "restore the primordial unity, beauty and glory of the Church." 6 nov. 1965 Sacred. The Synod of the K-Polish Patriarchate approved this initiative of Patriarch Athenagoras. In a telegram from Patriarch Alexy I of 28 December. 1965, sent to Patriarch Athenagoras in response to a request from the K-Polish Patriarchate about the opinion of other Orthodox Christians. Churches, this act was assessed "as an action of your Local Venerable Church, addressed to the Church of Rome", which has no theological significance for the entire fullness of the Holy Orthodox Church (To the lifting of the anathema in 1054 // ZhMP. 1966. No. 2. P. 4) ...

Dec 4 1965, on the eve of the closing of the meetings of V.S., in the Basilica of St. Paul received a non-Catholic reception. observers by Pope Paul VI.

For the entire time of V.S.'s work, observers from 9 Local Orthodox Christians were present at it. Churches. Permanent observers from the side of the Russian Orthodox Church in V.S. were: Archpriest. V. Borovoy (all sessions), prot. I. Ilic (2nd session), associate professor of the LDA, prot. L. Voronov (3rd session) and archim. Yuvenaliy (Poyarkov) (4th session). The VS was also attended by a delegation of observers from the ROCOR: Bishop. Geneva Anthony (Bartoshevich), prot. I. Troyanov and S. Grotov and a delegation from the St. Sergius Theological Institute in Paris - Rector Bishop. Katansky Kassian (Bezobrazov) and prot. A. Schmemann.

V. V. Tyushagin

Arch .: GARF. F-6991. Op. 2.D. 255; GARF. F. 6991. Op. 2.D. 461; TsNTs PE. F. OVTsS MP. Op. "II Vatican Council". D. 1-5; F. OVTsS MP. Op. "Paul VI". D. 18/168; 18/179.

Lit .: K ü ng H. Konzil und Wiedervereinigung: Erneuerung als Ruf in die Einheit. W., 1960; Non possumus! // LMP. 1961. No. 5. S. 73-75; Un Concile pour notre temps / Par J.-P. Dubois-Dumée. P., 1961; To the stay in Moscow of Monsignor I. Villebrands // ZhMP. 1962. No. 10. S. 43-44; Definitions of Sacred Synod // Ibid. No. 11. S. 9-10; 1963. No. 10. S. 5; 1964. No. 10. S. 1; 1965. No. 9. S. 1-2; Telegram from the Chairman of the Secretariat for the Promotion of Christ. to the unity of the card. Bea // Ibid. 1962. No. 11. S. 13; Kazem-Bek A. About the Second Vatican Council // Ibid. 1963. No. 1. S. 72-76; Archbishop. Nikodim, chairman of the DECR MP, to questions from the Greek. journalist S. Aleksiu // Ibid. No. 2. S. 21-22; Ivanov N. ROC in its relationship with Pravosl. and non-Orthodox Churches in 1962 // Ibid. S. 22-36; Vedernikov A. V . Position of benevolent attention: (regarding the Second Vatican Council) // Ibid. S. 62-64; he is. By unanimity: (on the 1st session of the Second Vatican Council) // Ibid. No. 3. S. 54-59; No. 4. S. 62-68; Kazem-Bek A. Second Vatican Council and modern. humanity // Ibid. No. 5. S. 74-80; he is. To the opening of the 2nd session of the II Vatican Council // Ibid. No. 11. S. 46-53; he is. 2nd session of the Vatican Council // Ibid. 1964. No. 2. S. 66-74; he is. After the 3rd session of the II Vatican Council // Ibid. 1965. No. 1. S. 67-79; he is. More about the Second Vatican Council // Ibid. No. 7. S. 68-73; he is. After the Vatican Council // Ibid. 1966. No. 4. S. 64-73; Abbot W. M. Twelve Council Fathers. N. Y. 1963; Gozzini M. Concilio aperto: Da Giovanni a Paolo. Firenze, 1963; Congar Y. Vatican II: Le Concile au jour le jour. P., 1963-1966. 4 t .; Kampe W. Das Konzil im Spiegel der Presse: In 2 Bde. Würzburg, 1963-1964; Wenger A. Chronique du Vatican II. P., 1963-1966. 4 vol .; Mchedlov M. Under the arches of St. Peter. M., 1964; Falconi K. Vatican Council and the reasons for its convocation. M., 1964; Brown R. M. Observer in Rome: A Protestant Rep. on the Vatican Council. N. Y. 1964; Hampe J. C. Ende der Gegenreformation ?: Das Konzil: Dokumente und Deutung. Stuttg., 1964; Lambert B. De Rome a Jérusalem: Itinéraire spirituel de Vatican II. P., 1964; Novak M. The Open Church: Vatican II, Act 2. N. Y., 1964; Roux H. Le Concile et le dialogue oecuménique. P., 1964; Caprile G. Cronache del Concilio Vaticano II. Vol. 1-5. R., 1965-1966; Yuvenaliy (Poyarkov), bishop On the final stage of the Second Vatican Council // ZhMP. 1966. No. 3. S. 62-70; To the lifting of the anathema in 1054 // Ibid. No. 2. P. 4; Bull G. Vatican Politics At the Second Vatican Council 1962-1965. L., 1966; Coppa G. Problemi del Concilio. Alba, 1966; La Madonna nella Costituzione "Lumen gentium". Mil. 1966; Basil (Krivoshein), Archbishop. The dogmatic decree "On the Church" of the II Vatican Council from the Orthodox point of view // VRZEPE. 1966. No. 56. S. 222-238; Ecumenical evidence // Russia and the Ecumenical Church. Brussels, 1966. No. 1 (67). S. 1-9; La Costituzione sulla S. Liturgia e l "istituzione per l" esatta applicazione presentata ai fedeli. Alba, 1967; La chiesa incontro al mondo: per una lettura della Costituzione pastorale su "La chiesa nel mondo contemporaneo". Mil. 1967; II Vatican Cathedral: plans and results. M., 1968. (Vna; Issue 6); Beach B. B. Vatican II: bridging the Abyss. Wash. 1968; Bonn E. L "Église catholique et l" oecuménisme depuis la fin du Concile Vatican II jusqu "à la fin du premier Synode episcopal. P., 1968; Pierini F. Catechismo del Concilio Vaticano II. R., 1968; Martelet G. Les idées maîtresses de Vatican II: Initiation à l "esprit du Concile. P., 1969; Commentary on the Documents of Vatican II. N. Y. 1969 5 vol .; Dizionario del Concilio Ecumenico Vaticano II. Vat. 1969; Gonzales-Carvajal L. La Legión de María: Un apostolado para los tiempos del postconcilio. Estella,; Romero Gomez M. Interpretacion et applicacion du réglement du Concile Vatican II. P., 1970; Casanova A. Second Vatican Council: a criticism of the ideology and practice of modern. Catholicism. M., 1973; L "ecclesiologia dal Vaticano I al Vaticano II. Brescia, 1973; H é gy P. L" Autorité (dans le catholicisme contemporaine: Du "Syllabus" à Vatican II. P., 1975; Lefevre M., Mgr. J "accuse le Concile! Martigny, 19762; idem. Ils l "ont découronné: Du libéralisme à l" apostasie: la tragédie conciliaire. Escourolles, 1987; Enchiridion Vaticanum: testo ufficiale. Bologna, 1976-. vol. 1-); Nicodemus (Rotov) , Metropolitan John XXIII, Pope // BT. 1979.Sat 20. S. 83-240; Grootaers J. De Vatican II (Jean Paul II: le grand tournant de l "Église catholique. P., 1981; Giovanni Battista Montini, Archivescovo di Milano, e il Concilio Ecumenico Vaticano II. Brescia, 1983; Glaube in Prozess: Christsein nach II. Vatikanum: Für K. Rahner. Freiburg i. Br., 1984; Fede, tradizioni, profezia: Studi su Giovanni XXIII e sul Vaticano II / A. Melloni etc. Brescia, 1984; Phillips J. Ever-Virgin Mary and the Second Vatican Council // Symbol / Glorious library in Paris. 1984. No. 11. P. 89-96; Il Vaticano II e la Chiesa. Brescia, 1985; Vatican II Revisited. Minneapolis, 1986; Vatican II: The Unfinished Agenda: a Look of the Future. N. Y. 1987; Surmanek Sh. General trends in the development of Catholicism after the Second Vatican Council. M., 1987; Evolution of the ideas of the II Vatican Council: ref. Sat. M., 1987; Wrzeszcz M. Paweł VI. Warsz. 1979; Mazalova V. NS . Catholicism a quarter of a century after Vatican II. M., 1989; Banaszak M., Ks. Historia Kościoła Katolickiego. Warsz. 1992 T. 4; À la veille du Concile Vatican II: vota et reactions en Europe et dans le catholicisme oriental. Leuven 1992; Kyung G. Theology on the way to a new paradigm // Path. M., 1992. No. 2. S. 160-182; Indelicato A. Difendere la dottrina o annunciare l "Evangelo: il dibattito nella Commissione centrale preparatoria del Vaticano II. Genova, 1992; Eve F. Ecumenica. M., 1995; Storia del Concilio Vaticano II / Dir. Da G. Alberigo. Bologna, 1995- 2001.5 vol .; Tomos Agapis: Vatican - Phanar (1958-1970). Brussels; M., 1996; Second Vatican Council: View from Russia. M., 1997; L "Evento e le decisioni: studi sulle dinamiche del Concilio Vaticano II / A cura di MT Fattori e A. Melloni. Bologna, 1997; Escudero Cabello A. La cuestión de la mediación mariana en la preparacion del Vaticano II: Elementos para una evoluación de los trabajos preconciliares. R., 1997; Olewi ń ski D. J., Ks. W obronie Mszy Świętej i tradycji Katolickiej. Komorów, 1997; Puchkin D. True to their faith // Orthodox conversation. 1997. No. 3. S. 18-21; he is. Abomination of desolation // Pokrov: Almanac of Russian Catholics. 1999. No. 1. S. 53-56; Angelo A. d ". Vescovi Mezzogiorno e Vaticano II: L" episcopato meridionale da Pio XII a Paolo VI. R., 1998; Antimodernismus und Modernismus in der katholischen Kirche: Beitr. z. theol. Vorfeld des II. Vatikanums. Paderborn etc. 1998; Burigana R. La Bibbia nel Concilio: La redazione della Costituzione "Dei verbum". Bologna 1998; Calvez J.-Y. Padre Arrupe: La chiesa dopo il Vaticano II. Mil.,; Carbone V. Il Concilio Vaticano II: Preparazione della chiesa al Terzio Millennio. Vat. 1998; Das II. Vatikanum - christl. Glaube im Horizont globaler Modernisierung: Einleitungsfragen. Paderborn; Münch. 1998; Barthe C. Quel avenir pour Vatican II ?: Sur quelques questions restées sans response. P., 1999; Volti di fine Concilio: studi di storia e teologia sulla conclusion del Vaticano II / A cura di J. Doré, A. Melloni. Bologna, 2000; Melloni A. L "altra Roma: politica di S. Sede durante il Concilio Vaticano II, 1959-1965. Bologna,; Salvestrini F. La familia cristiana nel Magistero della Chiesa: dal Concilio a Giovanni Paolo II. Mil., 20002; Turbanti G. Un Concilio per il mondo moderno: la redazione della Costituzione pastorale "Gaudium et spes" del Vaticano II. Bologna,; Bettazzi L. La Chiesa dei poveri nel Concilio e oggi. Pazzini,; Ziviani G. La Chiesa madre nel Concilio Vaticano II. R., 2001; Bianchi L. Liturgia: memoria o istruzioni per l "uso ?: Studi sulla trasformazione della lingua dei testi liturgici nell" attuazione della riforma. Casale Monferrato, 2002; Bonneterre D., Abb é. La guerre des missels a déjà eu lieu // Nouvelles de Chrétienté. 2002. No. 76. P. 12-19; Dumoulin P. II Vatican Council // Cat. T. 1.S. 863-868; History of the II Vatican Council / Ed. J. Alberigo; Per. A. Kiseleva et al. M., 2003. T. 1; Lyubak A., de. The paradox and mystery of the Church. Milan, b. G.

E. V. Kalinichenko, V. P. Ponomarev, N. N. Potashinskaya, D. E. Puchkin, V. V. Tyushagin

The convocation of the Second Vatican Council is one of the most important events in the recent history of the Catholic Church. This publication reflects the period of preparation for this large-scale event, as well as highlights its progress: it gives a brief overview of all four sessions of the Council and the closing ceremony.

Pope John XXIII on January 25, 1959, 3 months after his election to the throne, in the Roman Basilica of St. Paul (San Paolo fuori le Mura), for the first time made an official announcement of his intention to convene a new Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church. He called the main tasks of the Council the return to the ancient forms of the presentation of the doctrine, the ordering of church discipline, the revitalization of religious life, and also highlighted the ecumenical aspect.

Preparation period

In early February 1959, the text of the pope's speech on January 25 was submitted to the members of the college of cardinals for consideration. After that, Rome began to receive responses and suggestions regarding the subject of the Cathedral. To summarize all the wishes and suggestions on May 17, 1959, the Pre-Preparatory Commission (PPK) was created. It was chaired by the Prefect of the Congregation for Emergency Church Affairs, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Domenico Tardini.

At the first working session of the Pre-Preparatory Commission, which opened on May 26, 1959, it was announced that the Council being convened is oriented towards solving the current problems of the Roman Catholic Church and does not aim to complete the doctrinal definitions of the I Vatican Council. The official language of the Council being convened is Latin. On June 18, nearly 2,800 letters were sent to prelates and abbots, resident and titular bishops, nuncios, vicars and apostolic prefects, and abbots general of fraternities and congregations.

By May 30, 1960, the Pre-Preparatory Commission had received over 2,000 responses (vota) from bishops, classified by subject and topic.

In the motu proprio Superno Dei nutu dated June 5, 1960, Pope John XXIII officially established the name of the Council as the Second Vatican, defined its tasks, established a Central Preparatory Commission, 10 Preparatory Commissions on various issues and 3 secretariats. Established the procedure for their formation (all members of the Preparatory Commissions are appointed by the pope, the chairman of each commission is a cardinal).

It took about three years to prepare the cathedral. During the preparation, over 2 thousand church hierarchs from five continents were interviewed. Their proposals and considerations amounted to several dozen volumes. 70 documents were prepared for discussion at the council. Tourists, journalists, radio and television commentators came to Rome from all over the world. On March 19, 1961, Saint Joseph the Betrothed was proclaimed patron saint (Patron) of the Vatican Council.

On December 25, 1961, John XXIII signed the apostolic constitution Humanae salutis, dedicated to the problems modern society, the crisis of his spiritual state against the background of material progress. Her pope justified the need to convene a "new Ecumenical Council" and declared 1962 the year of the beginning of its work. At the same time, the Pope declared the First Vatican Council closed. By a decision of February 2, 1962, he announced the start date of the work of the Council for October 11, 1962.

On June 20, 1962, a final session of the Central Preparatory Commission was held. On August 6, 1962, Pope John XXIII signed the motu proprio Appropinquante Concilio. The 70 articles of the Statute of the Vatican Council (Ordo Concilii) set out the rules for holding meetings, the ranks and rights of the members of the Council, the degree of participation of non-Catholic theologians and observers in the Council, and the voting procedure. The general direction of holding general congregations was entrusted to a Presidium Council, composed of 10 cardinals appointed by the Pope. 10 Council Commissions were established, each of which consisted of 26 members (16 were elected by council voting, 10 were appointed by the pope).

At the preparatory stage of the Council, different expectations began to emerge from the work of the Council and its results. The curial apparatus, forming the composition of the Preparatory Commissions, sought to reduce the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church, declared by Pope John XXIII, to a minimum, and to preserve the traditional provisions of the doctrine in integrity. Hence the name of them "integrists", from the Latin integrum - holistic. The consultants of the Preparatory Commissions, the supporters of renewal (Jean Danielou, Yves Congard, Henri de Lubac, Karl Rahner, Edward Schillebeeks) were called "progressives".

The Orthodox East and especially the Russian Orthodox Church from the very beginning expressed a restrained position in relation to the Second Vatican Council. This can be understood if we recall the mutual alienation of the Western and Eastern Churches, which lasted for almost 1000 years. During this time, many disagreements have accumulated, due to which the Orthodox, like the Catholics, have lost a lot. In this regard, the position of the Russian Orthodox Church was extremely cautious even to the proposal to send an observer to the Council. The Russian Orthodox Church, with her restraint, made it clear to the See of Rome that she did not find it possible for herself to attend "a Council that would combine an anti-Orthodox mood with a hostile attitude towards the countries of the East."

“For centuries, Catholics thought they were clear enough about their doctrine. Non-Catholics did the same. Each explained his point of view using his own terminology and taking into account only his own view of things; but what was said by Catholics was poorly received by non-Catholics, and vice versa. With this methodology, no progress has been made towards unity. "

A certain obstacle was also the relationship between the atheist state and the Church. The Russian Orthodox Church could not hold any events in the international arena without the permission of the state. At that time, there were unwritten contractual agreements between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Soviet State. From an ecclesiastical point of view, the possibility of Russian Orthodox participation in a Latin Council was excluded. This was stated by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy (Simansky) at a meeting with Karpov in early April 1959. He said: “According to the existing canonical laws, the Orthodox Church does not have the right to participate in this Council, as well as send its representatives as guests or observers, on the contrary, we have taken measures, said the Patriarch, that could diminish the significance of the Council. Thus, the Patriarchate intends to intensify its activities on rapprochement with the ecumenical movement by expanding contacts, participating in conferences as observers. " It is clear from this that the Patriarch, like the entire Russian Orthodox Church, had no desire to participate in a Council headed by Catholics.

Patriarch Alexy (Simansky) conveyed to the chairman of the Council Karpov that such actions of the primate were dictated by considerations of a purely ecclesiastical canonical nature, in the spirit of the traditional opposition of Russian Orthodoxy to Rome. Georgy Grigorievich Karpov, Chairman of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, was replaced on February 21, 1960 by Vladimir Alekseevich Kuroyedov, a former party apparatchik from the Agitation and Propaganda Department of the CPSU Central Committee, secretary of the Sverdlovsk regional committee of the CPSU. A pragmatic person who observed the unwritten agreements between the Church and the state, gave way to a functionary who implemented the ideological line approved by the Central Committee of the CPSU to unleash an anti-religious struggle.

On June 17, 1962, Kuroyedov directly told Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) of Krutitsky and Kolomna, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, about the ineffectiveness of the Church's external activities and demanded his resignation. Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) resigned on June 21, and on September 19, 1960, by a resolution of the Holy Synod, he was relieved of his church office. He died on December 13, 1961 after an injection by a nurse with an unknown drug.

Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) was replaced by Archimandrite Nikodim (Rotov), ​​whose episcopal consecration took place on July 10, 1960 as Bishop of Podolsk. With the advent of Bishop Nicodemus, the concept and conduct of foreign policy Patriarchy.

The Pope attached exceptional importance to the presence of observers from the Russian Orthodox Church at the Council. The first contact with a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in August 1962 was established on the campus of Paris. Meetings of the International Council of Churches were held there. The Vatican Secretary of the Commission for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Cardinal Willebrands, spoke with Vladyka Nicodemus about the forthcoming Council. The latter expressed regret that no invitation had been sent to Moscow. The Vatican sent an invitation to all Orthodox Churches, but it was sent to the Patriarch of Constantinople. The Latins were convinced that this was enough, based on their own experience.

The Orthodox are alien to rigid centralization. The Russian Orthodox Church has autocephaly. Therefore, our Patriarchate wanted to negotiate with the Vatican directly. It turned out that the Kremlin could agree to the presence of observers of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Second Vatican Council, if the Vatican could guarantee that this Council would not become an anti-Soviet forum. The second contact with the Vatican regarding observers at the Cathedral took place on August 18, 1962, in France, at the House of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Metz, a large walled garden. At this meeting, Archbishop Nicodemus and Cardinal Vilebrands agreed that if the Council does not condemn communism, but concentrates on issues of the struggle for universal peace, then this will provide an opportunity for those invited from the Moscow Patriarchate to attend.

In September, a few weeks before the opening of the Council, the Roman Catholic Church sent to Moscow the secretary of the Secretariat for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Monsignor Willebrands. During his stay in Moscow from August 27 to October 2, 1962, Willebrands outlined the purpose of the trip: "to inform the Moscow Patriarchate about the preparation of the Second Vatican Council, the stages of this preparation, as well as about the tasks of the Council, the issues planned for resolution, and about the conciliar procedure." ...

The result of this visit was a change in the position of our Church in relation to the Vatican Council. At the invitation of the Chairman of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Bea, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod on October 10, 1962, decided to send to the Second Vatican Council as their observers: the acting representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the World Council of Churches, professor of the Proto-Orthodox Spiritual Academy Vitaly Borovoy and Deputy Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Vladimir (Kotlyarov). The “Regulations on the observers of the Moscow Patriarchate at the Vatican Council” was adopted, according to which they were to “regularly, at least once a week, report on the current work of the Council to the chairman of the DECR,” accompanying their reports with printed materials of the Vatican Council, current periodicals and publications. The observers were also charged with the duty "if necessary, to state to the relevant authorities of the Roman Catholic Church a certain position of the Moscow Patriarchate." On the same day, by a resolution of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU, consent was given to the dispatch of representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate as observers to the Vatican Council.

The presence of Russian observers at the Council attracted everyone's attention. In addition, 86 official delegations from various countries and from various international organizations attended the opening of the Council.

The first session was attended by observers from the Russian Orthodox Church, Protopresbyter Vitaly Borovoy and Archimandrite Vladimir Kotlyarov.

The second session of the Council was attended by Protopresbyter Vitaly Borovoy and Protopresbyter Jacob Ilic.

On the third, Protopresbyter Vitaly Borovoy and Associate Professor of the LDA, Archpriest Liveriy Voronov.

On the fourth, Protopresbyter Vitaly Borovoy and Archimandrite Yuvenaly (Poyarkov).

The Vatican Council was also attended by a delegation of observers from the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad: Bishop Anthony (Bartoshevich) of Geneva, Archpriest I. Troyanov and S. Grotov, and a delegation from the St. Sergius Theological Institute in Paris - Rector Bishop Cassian of Catan (Bezobrazov) and Archpriest A. Schmemann.

First session of the Council

On October 11, at 8 o'clock in the morning, in a solemn atmosphere in the sparkling lights of St. Peter's Cathedral, the first session of the XXI Ecumenical Council in Catholic reckoning, or, as it began to be called, the Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church, opened. If only 764 bishops participated in the first Vatican Council, two-thirds of them are Europeans, now 3058 bishops and general abbots of monastic orders and congregations in mitres and magnificent medieval robes sat on the tribunes. This time Europe was represented by 849 cathedral fathers, North and South America - 932, Asia - 256, Africa - 250, Oceania - 70.

Delegations from 17 different non-Catholic Christian churches- "breakaway brothers". Among them were representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as various Protestant trends.

The Pope appointed 10 members to the Presidium, who presided in succession. The sessions began with a prayer that was alternately recited in Latin and Greek. Microphones were placed everywhere, radio headphones were hung on the armchairs, there was also a lot of other equipment, without which it would have been very difficult for the cathedral fathers to carry out their important event. The cathedral was held in the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome; 4 sessions took place, 168 general congregations.

Pope John XXIII delivered the opening speech at the Council. The speech lasted 45 minutes and was called Gaudet Mater Ecclesia. The Pope said that the Council's task is not so much to condemn errors and proclaim anathemas, but rather that the Church wishes to show mercy. This is necessary to build bridges of human brotherhood over the abyss of ideological and political confrontation between East and West.

The first session of the council was to consider five projects: On the liturgy, On the sources of God's revelation, On the media, On unity with the Eastern (Orthodox) Churches and, finally, the project for the structure of the Church, which was called De ecclesia and was one of the main themes of the Council. Much controversy was caused by the discussion of the scheme On the Liturgy. It dealt with the reform of worship. The form of the Catholic Liturgy was approved by Pope Pius V in 1570 and has not changed since that time. To make divine services more accessible and understandable for believers, the Council was offered a scheme with a simplification of the Liturgy. Cardinal Ottaviani was the speaker on this issue.

In the journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, the following assessment of the first session of the Second Vatican Council was given: Church, but also in its relationship with the outside world. "

Pope John XXIII fell ill, so he watched the meetings of the Council on television. On December 4, he wished to speak at the Council. In his speech, he positively assessed the work of the Council, thus supporting the progressists. The Pope elevated Giovanni Battista Montini, the future Pope Paul VI, to the rank of Cardinal Archbishop of Milan. In him John XXIII saw his successor. The Pope asked Cardinal Montini to be above conciliar discussions, maintaining his impartiality in the interests of the unity of the Church.

On December 8, the first session of the Vatican Council was closed. None of the documents discussed at it were adopted. On November 27, the Pope officially announced the opening of the second session of the Vatican Council, scheduled for September 8, 1963.

To the question of the correspondent of Italian radio and television P. Branzi about the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards the Second Vatican Council, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Archbishop Nikodim of Yaroslavl and Rostov said: “The Russian Orthodox Church, in the spirit of unhypocritical brotherly love (1 Peter 1.22), responded to the invitation send observers to the first session of the Second Vatican Council. Its observers actively delved into the course of the conciliar discussions and showed a keen interest in everything that could contribute to the establishment of fraternal Christian relations with the Roman Catholic Church in the future on the basis of mutual understanding and a joint desire to contribute to the cause of peace and progress of mankind. "

After the death of the pope, Patriarch Alexy sent a telegram of condolences to Cardinal Cikognani. “The Russian Orthodox Church and I deeply mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope John XXIII. We heartily share the grief of the Church, which, in the person of the deceased Pope, lost her outstanding Head and Primate. We believe that in the hearts of all people striving for peace there will forever be a grateful memory of the deceased's hard work to preserve and consolidate peace on Earth. We offer fervent prayers for the repose of the radiant soul of the deceased Holy Father in the last refuge of the righteous. " On June 17, 1963, on the day of the funeral of John XXIII, in the Cross Church of the Patriarch's residence in Moscow, a memorial service was performed for the newly deceased Pope.

The Izvestia newspaper wrote: "None of the dads aroused so much sympathy among ordinary people during their lifetime and such genuine grief after death ... The deceased dad set the task of building a world without wars ... He fulfilled this task in a new way and with great courage."

On June 3, 1963, the death of Pope John XXIII followed, and it sparked discussions about the possibility of continuing the Vatican Council. However, the new Pope Paul VI, immediately after his election on June 21, in his address urbi et orbi, officially announced his intention to continue the work of the Council, postponing the opening of the second session from September 8 to September 29. On September 14, Pope Paul VI signed the proclamation to the episcopate Eum proximis and the letter Chorum temporum.

Second session of the Council

At the opening ceremony, Pope Paul VI delivered what some have called an oral encyclical. In this speech, he formulated 4 topics that were to be discussed at the Council as a whole: the dogmatic teaching of the Church and the doctrine of the episcopate, the renewal of the Church, the restoration of the unity of Christians, the dialogue of the Catholic Church with secular and ecclesiastical organizations. Addressing non-Catholic observers, the Pope asked for forgiveness for the offenses previously inflicted by Catholics, and confirmed his readiness on behalf of all Catholics to forgive insults and other offenses inflicted on Catholics. Regarding the need to renew the Catholic Church, the Pope said: “The Church is essentially a mystery. This mystery is connected with the reality of the hidden presence of God in the world. This reality represents the very essence of the Church, and will always need new research and disclosure of its essence. " For the first time, the Pope announced the need to hold the next sessions of the Council for the final solution of all issues.

Pope Paul VI appointed 3 new cardinals to the Council of the Presidium of the Council (Primate of Poland Stephen Vyshinsky, Archbishop of Genoa J. Siri and Archbishop of Chicago A. G. Mayer). On September 8, the Pope established a cathedral press committee headed by Archbishop M.J. O'Connor.

From September 30 to October 31 there was a discussion of the draft On the Church. There were many debatable points here, in particular, the question of the establishment of a married deaconate, the introduction of the doctrine of the Virgin Mary into the constitution, and the question of the role of the laity in the life of the Church.

During a public session on December 4, 1963, Paul VI solemnly proclaimed the Constitution of the Sacrosanctum Concilium (On the Sacred Liturgy) and the Decree Inter mirifica (On the Mass Communication) adopted by the Council. At the same time, the Pope used the formula approbamus una cum patribus, and not the ex cathedra right, and thus the proclaimed documents received a disciplinary-recommendatory, but not dogmatic character.

Third session of the Council

At the third session of the Council, at the suggestion of Cardinal Suanens, 16 Catholic women were present among lay observers. Pope Paul VI's speech at the opening of the sessions dealt with the main task of the session: the development of the doctrine of the First Vatican Council on the episcopate, the nature and ministry of bishops, their relationship with the Pope and the Roman curia.

The Lumen Gentium Constitution (On the Church) and the two decrees Unitatis redintegratio (On ​​Ecumenism) and the Orientalium Ecclesiarum (On the Eastern Catholic Churches) were signed by Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964, at the closing ceremony of the Third Session.

On January 4, 1965, the Pope formally set the opening of the fourth session on September 14, 1965.

On January 27, 1965, the Decree "On Amendments to the Order of the Mass" was published. On March 7, in the Roman Church of All Saints, Pope Paul VI celebrated Mass for the first time according to a “new” rite - facing the people, in Italian, with the exception of the Eucharistic Canon.

Fourth session of the cathedral

On October 28, 1965, on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the election of Pope John XXIII, it was decided to hold a solemn ceremony and a public session, at which the voting and solemn proclamation of 5 conciliar documents took place.

On November 9, 1965, by the apostolic letter Extrema sessio sent to the first-present Cardinal Tisserand, Pope Paul VI announced that the closure of the Second Vatican Council would take place on December 8.

The end of the work of the Cathedral

After the Mass to mark the end of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI gave a speech on the results of the Council. Then the Joint Statement of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches of Constantinople was announced, in which it was proclaimed that Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, for the sake of developing "fraternal relations" that had been established between the Churches, wished to remove "some obstacles" in the path of these relations, namely mutual anathemas of 1054, and expressed mutual regret for "offensive words, unfounded reproaches and damnable deeds." After this statement, the chairman of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Bea, read out Pope Paul VI's apostolic message Ambulate in dilectione "On lifting the excommunication from Patriarch Michael I Kirularius of Constantinople." In turn, the representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Metropolitan Meliton of Iliupol and Fira, announced the tomos of Patriarch Athenagoras about lifting the anathema from Cardinal Humbert and other papal legates.

On December 8, in the square in front of St. Peter's Basilica, the closing ceremony of the Second Vatican Council took place. It was attended by about 2 thousand Catholic bishops, representatives of almost 100 states and about 200 thousand people. The Pope made a speech in which he declared that no one is alien to the Catholic Church, is not excluded, and is not distant. At the end of this speech, a bull was read about the official closure of the Council and the decision of the Pope to establish the Archives of the Second Vatican Council was announced.

To implement the conciliar decrees, on January 3, 1966, Pope Paul VI announced the motu proprio Finis Concilio. He created post-conciliar commissions for bishops and diocese administration, for monasticism, for missions, for Christian education, for laity. And the central post-conciliar commission for the interpretation and interpretation of conciliar decrees, which coordinates the work of all post-conciliar commissions.

Superno Dei nutu - The Supreme Will of God.

Appropinquante Concilio - Approaching Cathedral.

Vedernikov A. Position of benevolent attention (regarding the Second Vatican Council) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1963. - No. 2. - P. 62.

Rynne Xavier. La Revolution de Ean XXIII / Per. from French - S.l., S.a. - P. 149.

Roccucci A. Russian Observers at the Second Vatican Council // Second Vatican Council. A View from Russia: Conference Proceedings, M., March 30 - April 2, 1995 / Per. with ital., fr. - V.P. Gaiduk et al. - M .: IVI RAN, 1997. - P. 93.

To the stay in Moscow of Monsignor I. Villebrands // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1962. - No. 10. - P. 43.

Definitions of the Holy Synod (on the preparation of the Second Vatican Council by the Roman Catholic Church) // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1962. - No. 11. - S. 9-10.

See: Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU No. 58/30 of 10.10.1962 // State Archives Russian Federation(GARF). Fund 6991. Op. 1.D. 1942.L. 169.

Udovenko V. Historical overview of the relationship between the Russian and Roman Catholic Churches: course essay. - L., 1969 .-- S. 286.

Gaudet Mater Ecclesia - Mother Church rejoices.

Nikodim (Rotov), ​​Metropolitan. John XXIII, Pope of Rome: master's thesis: In 2 volumes - M., 1969. - T. II. - S. 507.

Interview to the correspondent of Italian radio and television P. Branzi on May 29, 1963 / interview - answers: Nikodim, Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, Chairman of the DECR MP, interview - questions: Branzi P., correspondent of Italian radio and television // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1963. - No. 7. - P. 11.

Announcement of the death of Pope John XXIII. In the same place.

Speeches at the Second Vatican Cathedral / Comp. G. Kyung et al. - New Jersey, B.g. - S. 15.

Inter mirifica is one of the astounding ones.

Approbamus una cum patribus - we approve together with the fathers.

Lumen Gentium - Light to the nations.

Unitatis redintegratio - Restoration of unity. See: Decree of the Vatican Council on Ecumenism. Second Vatican Council: Documents. - Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1965 .-- 22 p.

Orientalium Ecclesiarum - Eastern Churches.

The development of Catholic theology in our time is largely determined by the council convened at the suggestion of Pope John XXIII (died 1963) (the 21st Ecumenical Council in the Catholic Church), which was then called the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Its task was to promote the unity of Christians and to bring about a renewal of the theology and practice of the Catholic Church and its adaptation to the requirements of modernity ("aggiornamento"). The result of a thorough discussion and almost unanimous decisions taken despite a sharp exchange of views at the council received different assessments. Some theologians have emphasized that although reforms are important, the teachings of the Catholic Church have remained unchanged in all significant respects. Others drew attention not only to innovations in some areas, but also to the possibility of updating and continuing changes, which can be read about in the wording of the decisions of the Council. The answer to the question of which of these assessments is correct depends largely on how the decisions of the Council will be interpreted in the Catholic Church itself and what conclusions will be drawn from these decisions.

Of the sixteen official texts that make up the decisions of the Council, from a dogmatic point of view, the most important are the constitutions “On Divine Revelation” and “On the Church”, the Decree on Ecumenism, and the “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World”. Important theological issues are also raised in other texts, for example, in the constitution "On the Sacred Liturgy" or in the declaration on the attitude of the Church towards non-Christian religions.

Already noticeable changes, which have become a consequence of the decisions of the Council, have taken place in the sphere of liturgical life. The Liturgy Constitution allows the use of the national language in the liturgy (except for the central moments of the sacrament liturgy) and, in certain cases, the teaching of the Sacrament under two types. Further, the importance of the sermon was emphasized, and it became obligatory at the main worship service of the parish. However, the most important dogmatic foundation of the liturgy, namely the teaching of the sacrifice of the Mass, remained unchanged.

In the constitution on revelation, among other things, the central issue is the question of Scripture and tradition. The previous hypothesis of two sources of revelation, which could be gleaned from the decisions of the Council of Trent (see above), was rejected. Instead, it emphasizes the unity of Scripture, Tradition and the teaching of the Church as instances of faith. The earlier recognition of scholarly study of the Bible is being renewed. The importance of translating the Bible into the languages ​​of nations is emphasized.

The Constitution "On the Church" is the central document of the Council, and this subject is regarded as the main issue of the Council. Whereas earlier in the doctrine of the Church a hierarchical view was expressed, or the Church was simply equated with a hierarchy, the above text (adopted in November 1964) presents a more biblical, historical and dynamic understanding: the Church appears as the people of God on a journey to eternity - the new kingdom of God. The primacy and infallibility of the Pope, proclaimed at the First Vatican Council, is confirmed, but at the same time a great independence is recognized for the bishops. The claims of the Catholic Church as the only true one are expressed in formulations that allow for a more positive assessment of other confessions.

The same dualistic tendency - to keep the traditional teaching of the Church intact, but at the same time to break with the old approaches in order to adapt the Church to the new time, is presented in the decree on ecumenism. The novelty lies in the support of ecumenical aspirations and the path to Christian unity is proclaimed to be discussion on an equal footing ("par cum pari") with representatives of other faiths. In other denominations one can find "elements of sanctification and truth", although the gifts of salvation in their fullness are only in the Catholic Church, led by the successor of the Apostle Peter and the bishops. It is still impossible to assess what the Council's efforts to unite the church will bring, but there has been an obvious change, a movement towards openness towards other denominations, proclaimed in the decree on ecumenism. This openness is also expressed in relation to non-Christian religions in the corresponding declaration of the Council.

One of the most important decisions of the Council was the so-called "Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World." It is addressed not only to Christians, but to all people of goodwill and examines the social, economic and political 359 problems of our time, especially those that exist at the international level. A number of aspects were then elaborated in more detail in the 1967 papal encyclical, Populorum progressio, which, among other things, emphasizes that development work for poor countries is a prerequisite for peace (“the new name for peace is development”).

The tendency to put in the center common problems humanity and the attitude of the Church to the world around it is also characteristic of the ecumenical work within the framework of the World Council of Churches and is first of all expressed in the documents and decisions of the Fourth General Assembly of the WCC in Uppsala in 1968. In the aforementioned pastoral constitution, this new direction of theological thinking is substantiated, among other things, by the fact that the purpose of the Church is of a universal character. Therefore, it is important for her to start a conversation with the outside world about the meaning of human life and the aspirations of people, as well as about the creation of human society.

Second Vatican Cathedral(Vatican, 11.10.1962 -) - a Catholic cathedral, as a result of which Catholicism officially switched to modernist and ecumenical positions.

purpose of the cathedral

According to John XXIII, the purpose of the Second Vatican Council is "the development of the Catholic faith, the renewal (aggiornamento) of Christian life, the adaptation of church discipline to the needs and customs of our time." The result should be a Church open to the world.

the participants

More than 2 thousand members took part in the Second Vatican Council. In addition to the direct collaborators of John XXIII, periti (experts) played a very important role in the manipulation of the cathedral.

The central figures of the Second Vatican Council were the Cardinals Augustine Bea, Joseph Frings and L.-J. Sünens, as well as Henri de Lubac, Yves Congard, M.-D. Shenou. The cathedral was attended by: Cardinal Franz Koenig, bud. cardinal Jean Danielou, bud. Cardinal Johannes Villebrands, Karol Wojtyla (future Pope John Paul II), Joseph Ratzinger (future Pope Benedict XVI), Hans Küng, E. Schillebeeks, Head of the Ukrainian Uniates Joseph Slipy, Uniate "Archimandrites" Emmanuel Emanuel and Dr. ...

Orthodox observers

The council was attended by the elite of Orthodox and Protestant modernism: bishop. Cassian (Bezobrazov), Met. Emilian (Timiadis), Fr. Nikolay Afanasyev, Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Nikolai Arseniev, Pavel Evdokimov, Nikos Nissiotis, representatives of the Teze “brother” Roger and Max Turian community, Lucas Vischer, Edmund Schlink, etc. O. Alexander Schmemann denied that he was an official observer from the American Metropolis, but attended the cathedral in private, as a special guest.

The Jerusalem Patriarchate and the Church of Greece refused to send a delegation to the Second Vatican Council.

The possibility of the presence of observers from the Russian Orthodox Church was discussed in March at the meeting of Met. Nikolai (Yarushevich) with the Chairman of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church G.G. Karpov. It was decided not to exclude the possibility of sending representatives. In a conversation with the same GG Karpov at the beginning. April, Patriarch Alexy I spoke extremely negatively about the very idea of ​​delegating representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church to a Catholic council.

Thanks to the direct participation of Met. Nikodim (Rotov) representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church were sent to the Second Vatican Council. During a secret meeting in Paris in August with Joseph Willebrands, Met. Nikodim (Rotov) said that "the Kremlin could agree to the presence of observers of the Russian Orthodox Church at the Second Vatican Council, if the Vatican could guarantee that this Council would not become an anti-Soviet forum." On October 10, the Holy Synod decided to accept the Vatican's invitation to send observers. As part of the delegation: Met. Nikodim (Rotov), ​​bud. Met. Vladimir (Kotlyarov), bud. Met. Yuvenaliy (Poyarkov), Fr. Vitaly Borovoy, Fr. Liveri Voronov.

Throughout Vatican II, observer meetings were held once a week, during which Augustine Bea commented on the current work of the cathedral, and observers were invited to comment on the draft documents under discussion. Before the start of the Second Vatican Council, the Vatican Secretary of State Cicognani received the observers and presented them on behalf of John XXIII with commemorative medals of his pontificate.

basic documents

The Second Vatican Council accepted 16 documents.

constitution

• On the liturgical reform - Sacrosanctum Concilium;
• On the Church - Lumen gentium;
• On the Church in the Modern World - Gaudium et Spes;
• On Divine Revelation - Dei Verbum.

decrees

• Missionary work - Ad gentes;
• On the Uniate "Eastern" Churches - Orientalium Ecclesiarum;
• On the pastoral ministry of bishops in the Church - Christus Dominus;
• On the ministry and life of elders - Presbyterorum ordinis;
• On ecumenism - Unitatis redintegratio;
• On the renewal of monastic life in relation to modern conditions - Perfectae caritatis;
• Preparation for the priesthood - Optatam totius;
• About mass media - Inter mirifica;
• Apostolicam actuositatem.

declarations

• Religious freedom - Dignitatis humanae;
• Christian education - Gravissimum educationis;
• On the attitude towards non-Christian religions - Nostra Aetate.

prehistory of the cathedral

Despite the persecution under Pius XII in the 40s - 50s, the modernist underground in its three main directions - modernism, liturgical reform, secularization (socialization) - happily survived until the pontificate of John XXIII, when it was able to openly declare itself.

convocation of a council

The organizers of the Second Vatican Council initially set out to bypass conservative Catholics, deceive and, if necessary, use violence to their advantage. Thus, John XXIII announced his intention to convene a council three months after his election - on January 25 of the year, which immediately caught the conservative Roman curia by surprise. From that moment on, the curia and generally conservative Catholics did not have a decisive influence on events.

stages of the cathedral

There are four stages of the Second Vatican Council.

October 11 - December 8, 1962

During the first session of the Second Vatican Council on October 13, most of the members of the council refused to follow the agenda drawn up by the curia and to vote for the candidates she proposed to the council commissions. John XXIII, who jointly prepared this revolution with Augustine Beah, had an alternative center for the leadership of the cathedral: the Secretariat for the Promotion of Christian Unity, headed by Beah.

The French cardinal Lienard invited each member of the council in the rank of bishop to make their own list. He was supported by the German Cardinal Frings. After consultations, completely different persons were included in the commissions of the Second Vatican Council, mostly modernists from Eastern and Northern Europe. The leaders of the cathedral are designated Cardinals Alfrink from Holland and Sünens from Belgium. Behind the scenes, the Pope supported the modernists.

The draft document De fontibus Revelatione (On the Sources of Revelation) was reviewed on November 14-21 of the year. Initially, it expounded the teaching that Divine revelation proceeds from two sources that are identical in holiness and significance: Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. The project was heavily criticized by liberal theologians, who defended their concept that Tradition has no divine origin. Bea noted that the project interferes with ecumenical dialogue with Protestants. The past vote on the draft showed its rejection by the majority of the participants in the Second Vatican Council, but the collected votes were not enough to completely reject it. On November 21, John XXIII supported the modernists, announcing that a simple majority was enough to reject this project, and the document was sent back for revision.

September 29 - December 4, 1963

After the death of John XXIII and the election of a new Pope Paul VI, the Second Vatican Council continued its work, to which the lay people were now involved. The plenary sessions of the cathedral become open to observers and the press.

Paul VI indicated four main goals of the Second Vatican Council:

• define more fully the nature of the Church and the role of bishops;
• renew the Church;
• restore the unity of all Christians, apologize for the role of Catholicism in the divisions that have arisen;
• start a dialogue with the modern world.

During this period, the most memorable event of the Second Vatican Council took place: a violent clash between Cardinal Frings and Cardinal Ottaviani, who defended the conservative position of the curia. It should be noted that Josef Ratzinger was Frings' advisor.

The Sacrosanctum Concilium constitution and the Inter Mirifica decree are adopted.

Sacrosanctum Concilium initiated a devastating reform of Catholic worship with one main goal: greater participation of the laity in the liturgy.

The discussion touched upon the role of the laity in the Church, when the modernists insisted on the wide independence of the laity, their missionary work (apostolate) and even on "participation" in the priestly ministry. The conservatives insisted on preserving the principle of the unconditional subordination of the laity to the hierarchy in church matters.

September 14 to November 21, 1964

At the third stage, the main documents of the Second Vatican Council were adopted: Unitatis Redintegratio, Orientalium Ecclesiarum, Lumen Gentium.

Lumen Gentium states:

The only Church of Christ, which we confess in the Creed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic ... dwells in the Catholic Church, ruled by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him, although outside of her many principles of sanctification and truths are acquired, which, as gifts , characteristic of the Church of Christ, encourage catholic unity (Issued to us - Ed.).

The Second Vatican Council proclaimed that people who, through no fault of their own, did not hear the preaching of the Gospel, can receive eternal salvation. There is also a kind of Catholic "conciliarity" here: a council of bishops cannot act without the consent of the pope, but the pope himself is not obliged to act in harmony with the council, “he can always freely exercise his power”.

The proposal of Cardinal Sünens on the admissibility of women among lay observers was implemented, the 3rd session was attended by 16 Catholic women.

At the end of the session, Paul VI announced a change in the order of fasting before Communion - the obligatory fast was reduced to one hour.

In the interval between sessions - January 27 of the year - a decree was published on amending the rite of the Mass. On March 7, Paul VI celebrated Mass for the first time according to a “new” rite: facing the people, in Italian (with the exception of the Eucharistic canon).

September 14 - December 8, 1965

In the fourth and final period, the "Synod of Bishops" is created - an imperious consultative body under the Pope.

The most controversial document of the Second Vatican Council was the declaration on religious freedom Dignitatis Humanae, which was voted for in 1997, and 224 members of the council voted against.

Fierce controversy was also caused by the declaration of Nostra Aetate, which exonerated the Jews from the blame for the Crucifixion of the Savior and condemned anti-Semitism.

Nostra aetate proclaims that the Catholic Church "does not reject anything true and holy" that is in non-Christian religions. According to the statement by Augustine Bea, who prepared the Nostra Aetate, although the declaration refers to all non-Christians, the relationship of Catholicism with the Jews was the main issue that the Second Vatican Council sought to resolve. During the preparation of the document, Bea consulted with leading representatives of the Jewish community through the chairman of the World Jewish Congress, Naum Goldman. By "Jews", according to Bea, all descendants of Abraham, with whom God made the Covenant, are meant, and, according to Bea, conciliar document, this covenant remains unchanged with the Jews who rejected Christ. Therefore, “Jews should not be portrayed as rejected or damned by God. The common spiritual heritage of Christians and Jews is so great that the sacred council seeks to maintain this mutual understanding and respect, which arises both as a result of bibliological and theological research and fraternal dialogue. "

On the last day of the Second Vatican Council, the text of the joint declaration of Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras on the mutual lifting of the anathemas of the year was made public, Bea read out Paul VI's message Ambulate in dilectione on the lifting of excommunication from Patriarch Michael I Kirularius of Constantinople. In turn, the representative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Met. Meliton (Hatzis), the tomos of Patriarch Athenagoras was announced on the lifting of the anathema from Cardinal Humbert and other papal legates.

doctrine of the Second Vatican Council on ecumenism

Pope John XXIII proposed a convenient, albeit pseudological, scheme that suggests identifying the truths of faith not with their verbal expression, but with the understanding and experience of these truths by believers. Accordingly, if Orthodoxy and traditional Catholicism are based on the inseparability of word and thought, then modern Catholic ecumenists propose to pathologically distinguish form and content in human speech.

Ecumenical Catholics recognize (see the Lumen Gentium constitution) that division has taken place in the Church and that partial and incomplete Truth can be found everywhere outside the boundaries of the Church. At the same time, Catholicism asserts that the Catholic Church is the fullness of grace and perfect unity and has never been split. The goal of Catholic ecumenism becomes the search for greater completeness, although it confesses that Catholicism has everything necessary for salvation.

"All believers in Christ and baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity are in communion with the Church," teaches Catholic ecumenism, "although this communion is imperfect." Communication with the Church is seen by the Vatican even among those denominations that do not have baptism (Salvation Army, Quakers, etc.). Of course, the decisions of the Second Vatican Council do not explain and cannot explain what kind of communication this is and how it is possible.

spirit of the Second Vatican Cathedral

After the end of the Second Vatican Council, the concept of "the spirit of the Second Vatican Council" entered the Catholic and ecumenical use, in which both Catholics and those who sympathize with them swear allegiance.

After the Second Vatican Council, being a “Catholic” means believing what you want and understanding the truths of faith the way you want. Catholicism is a "culture", not a strict confession with certain provisions and requirements.

Before the Second Vatican Council, the Church was perceived as founded by Christ and containing a certain teaching and faithful to unchanging institutions. After that, the Church is a community that travels in time and adapts to circumstances and eras.

Until the Second Vatican Council, Catholicism considered itself the only Church. After - as one of the manifestations of the Church, all of which are imperfect.

The coup accomplished by the Second Vatican Council is extremely close to Orthodox modernists, who during the 20th century carried out the same coup in the Orthodox Church, albeit without any council.

modernist assessment of the Second Vatican Council

Observers of our Church, as you know, were at all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council. On the basis of their reports and familiarity with the documents of the Council, we positively assessed those actions and decisions that meet the spirit of our time and are a positive response to the modern demands of mankind.

The Russian Orthodox Church welcomes the will of the fathers of the Council for ecumenical rapprochement with Christians of other confessions, which is attested by the Council's acts, as well as those decisions of the Council, which reflect the desire of Roman Catholics to unite with all people of good will in their striving to establish blessed peace among nations.

At the same time, we regret those conciliar judgments that conflict with the spirit of ecumenism and the ideas of coexistence and cooperation. - 1962. - No. 10. - S. 43-44. Bonneterre, Didier. The liturgical movement. From Dom Guéranger to Annibale Bugnini, or, The Trojan horse in the City of God. - Kansas City, Mo: Angelus Press, 2002.

Carey, Patrick W .; Lienhard, Joseph T. Biographical dictionary of Christian theologians. - Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2000.

The Cardinal's Setback // Time. - 1962. - Nov. 23. - Friday.

The documents of Vatican II. Introductions and commentaries by Catholic bishops and experts. Responses by Protestant and Orthodox scholars / Edited by Walter M. Abbott. - New York: New York Guild Press, 1966.

Fraternité sacerdotale Saint Pie X. Le problème de la réforme liturgique. La messe de Vatican II et de Paul VI: étude théologique et liturgique. - Étampes: Clovis, 2001.

Gross, Michael B. The war against Catholicism: liberalism and the anti-Catholic imagination in nineteenth-century. - Germany. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2004.

Horn, Gerd-Rainer. Western European liberation theology: the first wave, 1924-1959. - Oxford University Press, 2008.

Isambert, François-André. Du Syllabus à Vatican II, ou les avatars de l "intransigeantisme. A propos de deux ouvrages d" Emile Poulat // Revue de sociologie française. - 1978. - V. 19. - No. 4. - P. 603-612.

Jung-lglesias, M. Augustin Bea, Cardinal de I'unite. - Paris, 1963.

Kessler, Edward; Wenborn, Neil. A Dictionary of Jewish – Christian Relations. - Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Lamb, Matthew L .; Levering, Matthew. Vatican II: renewal within tradition. - Oxford University Press, 2008.

New Catholic encyclopedia: jubilee volume. - Gale Group, Catholic University of America, 2001.

O "Collins, Gerald. The Second Vatican Council on other religions. - Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.

Pekarske, Daniel T. Abstracts of Karl Rahner's unserialized essays. - Milwaukee, Wis: Marquette University Press, 2009.

Rowland, Tracey. Culture and the Thomist tradition. After Vatican II. - Routledge, 2003.

// OrthodoxHistory.org. - 2010 .-- 08 March. - Date of treatment: 08/16/2017.

Schmidt, Stephan. Augustin Bea, The Cardinal of Unity. - New City Press, 1992.

The Supreme Realist // Time. - 1962 .-- 06 Jul. - Friday.

Tavard, George H. Vatican II and the Ecumenical Way. - Marquette University Press, 2006.

Vereb, Jerome-Michael. The Ecumenical Endeavor of Cardinal Bea. - Rome: Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, 2003.